1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicles operable both as ground vehicles and flight vehicles or aircraft, and more particularly to a motorcycle including flightworthy componentry enabling the motorcycle to serve as an aircraft.
2. Description of Related Art
The development of the internal combustion engine, and later turbine engines, has enabled the world to develop practical land vehicles and, shortly thereafter, flying machines of various types. As time progressed, people recognized the benefits which might be obtained by a single vehicle incorporating the ability to fly, as well as function as a practical land vehicle or automobile. Numerous such vehicle designs have been developed in the past, with a number of such flyable ground vehicles, or roadable aircraft, achieving operational status, and even production, in one case.
However, such combination vehicles have their drawbacks in that the lifting surfaces required for flight are bulky and require storage, either on or off the vehicle, for land use of the vehicle. Also, most development of such combination vehicles has centered around a relatively large and heavy structure capable of carrying at least two persons on board, both on the ground and in flight. As a result, some development has occurred with lighter ground vehicles, such as motorcycles and the like. The development of a flyable motorcycle has been advanced by the relatively recent development of flexible wings and parafoils, which depend upon forward motion to generate lift, unlike a conventional parachute. While several patents have been issued for such machines in general, none provide the versatility which is required of such a hybrid vehicle.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a light weight, motor powered, tandem wheel vehicle (motorcycle) incorporating flight components rendering the machine capable of flight when those flight components are properly deployed and actuated. The present invention provides such a machine, incorporating a conventional motorcycle to which various flight and ancillary components have been installed. The present combination vehicle utilizes a separate flight engine from the powerplant used to power the motorcycle for ground operations, as well as other novel features.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is presented below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,810 issued on Jan. 17, 1978 to Douglas J. Malewicki, titled “Combination Motorcycle And Hang-Glider,” describes a motorcycle which may be converted to an unpowered flight vehicle with the addition of a semi-rigid delta wing, or “Rogallo” wing, so named after its inventor. The Malewicki machine is incapable of powered flight, as the only engine on the machine is the conventional motorcycle engine powering the rear wheel. No other means is used to provide flight propulsion. While Malewicki provides means for adjusting the angle of incidence of the wing structure relative to the motorcycle suspended beneath, this incidence adjustment may be accomplished only once in flight, to allow the leading edge of the wing to move upwardly somewhat. Also, Malewicki uses weight shifting for lateral control, rather than aerodynamic directional control means, as in the present invention. Malewicki also fails to provide any lateral stabilizing wheels for his motorcycle, which stabilizing means is important when the fore and aft wheels of the motorcycle are not turning, as just at landing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,207 issued on Apr. 14, 1987 to Don R. Poling, titled “Kit For Converting A Motorcycle To An Airborne Vehicle,” describes a system which utilizes the conventional motorcycle engine and rear drive wheel for applying power to a propeller system, rather than using a separate engine to drive the propeller, as in the present invention. The Poling machine provides a propeller drive roller which bears against one side of the rear drive tire of the motorcycle, with an idler roller on the opposite side to support the lateral load of the frictionally driven propeller drive roller against the motorcycle tire. It is also noted that Poling recognizes the lateral instability of the motorcycle configuration, when the wheels are not turning to provide gyroscopic stability. Accordingly, he provides a pair of laterally disposed landing gear wheels, which extend below the plane defined by the bottoms of the forward and rear motorcycle tires. However, he provides only manual means for raising and lowering these wheels. Poling must manually raise the rear wheel of the motorcycle to lower each of his lateral stabilizing wheels, and then again raise the rear of the motorcycle in order to relieve the weight on the lateral wheels to retract them for road use. In the present invention, the lateral stabilizing wheels are pneumatically actuated by a control from the vehicle operator, with no physical labor being required of the operator. Moreover, the lateral wheels of the present invention may be extended laterally for takeoff and landing use, and retracted for road use as desired. The control system of the Poling machine also differs considerably from that of the present invention, in that Poling connects the lateral control lines to his parafoil to the handlebars. The present inventor feels that it is best to provide separate controls for the parafoil, from the handlebars. This permits both the motorcycle and the parafoil to be controlled independently, to adjust for surface irregularities, slight crosswinds or gusts, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,149 issued on Jun. 7, 1988 to Peter Gruich, titled “Ornithopter-Type Vehicle, And Methods Of Constructing And Utilizing Same,” describes a flying machine utilizing the rearward portion of a motorcycle as the propulsion and seating unit. The motorcycle engine drives a hydraulic pump, which in turn drives hydraulic cylinders for cycling the wings and adjusting the empennage assembly. The motorcycle engine does not drive the rear wheel, but is used solely as the flight propulsion engine. The ornithopter wings of the Gruich machine are semi-rigid, as opposed to the completely foldable fabric material of the parafoil wing of the present invention. Moreover, Gruich does not provide lateral stabilizer wheels, as he claims vertical takeoff and landing capability and provides only shock mounted pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,724 issued on Jun. 5, 1990 to Stephen L. Snyder, titled “Powered Airfoil Canopy Aircraft,” describes a “trike” as such devices are generically termed, having a single nose wheel and two laterally spaced rear wheels. None of the wheels are driven. The only propulsion comprises a pair of engines which drive two counter rotating propellers through a common transmission. The two propellers may be stopped essentially vertically, to provide a narrow width for ground storage of the machine. However, the propeller guard must be disassembled, rather than being foldable as in the present invention. It is also noted that Snyder uses common controls for both ground steering and in flight lateral control. The disadvantages of such a system during the transition to and from flight, have been noted further above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,630 issued on Jun. 19, 1990 to Stephen L. Snyder, titled “Powered Airfoil Canopy Aircraft,” is a continuation in part of the '724 U.S. Patent to the same inventor, described immediately above. The same points noted in the discussion of the Snyder '724 U.S. Patent, are seen to apply here as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,335 issued on Jan. 7, 1992 to Jean-Pierre David, titled “Device Making It Possible To Convert A Motorcycle Into A Motorized Ultralight Aircraft,” describes a generally ovoid, overhead structure which is welded to the frame of the motorcycle. The structure includes cable runs for actuating steering controls in the parafoil lift device used for flight, with toggle controls also being provided for in-flight steering. The propellers used for flight propulsion are powered by the conventional motorcycle engine, rather than by a separate engine as in the present invention. The David system uses a clutching and declutching mechanism to engage the propeller drive from a chain or belt drive extending from the engine or transmission of the motorcycle. David fails to provide any form of lateral safety structure for his machine, nor does he provide any lateral stabilizing wheels for transition between flight and ground operation, as provided by the present combination motorcycle and powered parafoil invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,100 issued on Nov. 3, 1992 to Stephen L. Snyder, titled “Airfoil Canopy Aircraft,” describes a radio control model aircraft powered by an electric motor which drives a propeller. The aircraft has a tricycle landing gear configuration, with a streamlined fuselage and motor shroud or cowling. No power is provided to drive any of the relatively small wheels of the aircraft. While Snyder describes the aircraft as qualifying for ultralight status, i.e., a slow, light weight aircraft for carrying a single person, the use of electric power would preclude any significant flight duration. No steering is provided for the nose wheel of the Snyder aircraft, either independently of or in concert with the lateral flight controls.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,111 issued on Jan. 14, 1997 to Troy Jackson et al., titled “Safety System For Removing A Rider From A Vehicle By Deploying A Parachute,” describes a rapidly deployable, or inflatable, parafoil which is worn by a motorcycle rider in a folded and stored configuration. Sensors are provided which deploy the chute when a condition of excessive banking, deceleration, etc. are detected, thus pulling the rider from the motorcycle. The Jackson et al. device does not attach to the motorcycle at all, but rather teaches away from such attachment, as the goal of Jackson et al. is to separate the rider from the motorcycle. Accordingly, no in flight propulsion or flight control systems are provided by Jackson et al. for their parachute, nor is any means provided for attaching any part of the device to a motorcycle or for steering or controlling the device from a motorcycle or otherwise.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,924 issued on May 11, 1999 to Louis C. Strieber, titled “Speed Enhanced Powered Parachute,” describes a power and occupant unit supported by a flexible fabric surface parafoil lifting device. The parafoil includes means for adjusting the chord and thickness thereof, and a series of chordwise rigid structures are provided for adjusting the angle of attack of the parafoil wing as the chord and thickness are adjusted to alter the coefficient of lift of the device. No wheels or powerplant for operating the device on the surface is disclosed by Strieber.
German Patent Publication No. DE-3,430,412 published on Feb. 27, 1986 to Gerd Rienks describes (according to the English abstract and drawings) a motorcycle having a Rogallo type wing installed thereon. The device thus generally resembles that of the '810 U.S. Patent to Malewicki, discussed further above, with many of the points of difference noted between that device and the present invention also applying here. However, the device of the '412 German Patent Publication also includes a rearward propeller driven from rollers bearing against the rear wheel of the motorcycle, substantially in the manner of the device of the Poling '207 U.S. Patent discussed further above. The present invention differs in that it uses a separate, dedicated flight powerplant, rather than using the conventional motorcycle engine, as was noted in the discussion of the Poling '207 U.S. Patent. Other differences, e.g., the lack of a peripheral safety structure, lack of any form of propeller guard, different control system, etc. in the device of the '412 German Patent Publication, are noted as well.
European Patent Publication No. 278,784 published on Aug. 17, 1988 to Powerchute Systems International Limited, titled “Light Aircraft,” describes a “trike” type powered parachute or parafoil having a tricycle wheel occupant and engine carriage, supported by a parafoil wing in flight. The device is essentially conventional, as such aircraft have been flying for years before the development of the present invention. The Powerchute device provides an improvement in that it provides lateral adjustment to compensate for the effects of torque from the single propeller installed on the machine. However, no system for propelling the ground wheels, peripheral protective structure, foot operated flight directional controls, etc., are disclosed in the '783 European Patent Publication, which features form parts of the present invention.
Finally, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-167,099 published on Jul. 18, 1991 to Masaharu Fukigoshi describes (according to the English abstract and drawings) an inflated parafoil wing structure having sufficient rigidity to support a separate inflated trailing edge portion which is movable relative to the main wing portion. The trailing edge portion may be deflected upwardly and downwardly to adjust the coefficient of lift of the entire airfoil assembly. However, only a general occupant and engine platform is illustrated. No means of powering the ground wheels, folding propeller guard, peripheral safety structure, adjustable lateral wheels, etc., is apparent in the '099 Japanese Patent Publication.
None of the above inventions and patents, either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.